Feed 'em Right

Bought my first (of many!) batch of Rhubarb today and now a lovely Rhubarb Crisp is cooling on my counter. Yum! Can’t wait for dessert.

Have you ever made your own Granola? It is easy as so delicious and the best part is that you get to add only the things you like!

Granola

(adapated from Paula Shoyer)

3 cups oats or matzah farfel (great to make Passover Granola)

1 cup dried coconut flakes (unsweetened)

1.5 cups chopped nuts (I like to use pecans and silvered almonds)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbs oil

1 Tbs brown sugar

1 cup dried fruit (like craisins, raisins, apricots, dates, etc) chopped if necessary

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl mix oats (or farfel), coconut, nuts, and spices.

In a glass measuring cup mix honey, sugar and oil. Microwave for 45 seconds and stir to dissolve sugar. Pour over mixture and stir well to coat. Spread over baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until everything is lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool. Stir in dried fruits. Store in an airtight container.

This was a super simple recipe, took about 5 minutes to prepare the dough, which I did before picking the kids up at school. Then it rises for about and hour and bakes for 30 minutes. I almost did not get a photo as the kids dove in right away- it smelled sooooo good cooking there was no resiting it once it came out of the oven! I used the Pizza Dough Flavor and Super Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Seriously Sharp Cheddar by Cabot). It was amazing!

from King Arthur Flour

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional for drizzling into the pan)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional

• 2 cups diced cheese — cheddar, Monterey Jack, flavored cheddar, or your favorite
• 4 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• pizza seasoning or your favorite dried herbs, to sprinkle on top

1) Lightly grease a 9” x 13” pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom.

2) Combine all of the ingredients except the cheese and garlic, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

3) Add the cheese and garlic, beating gently just to combine.

4) Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it’s become puffy.

5) While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

6) Sprinkle the dough with pizza seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.

7) Bake the bread till it’s golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

8) Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

9) To make crunchy bread sticks: Cut day-old bread into 1/2” slices. Lay the slices on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake them in a preheated 350°F to 400°F oven till they’re a light golden brown and crunchy, 15 to 25 minutes or so; keep your eye on them, as they brown quickly towards the end.

Yield: about 12 to 18 servings bread; or about fifty 6 1/2” bread sticks.

My daughter this morning came down with the virus that has been passed around her class for the last two weeks. She is feeling punky but has not lost her appetite. So I am pulling out my recipe for Dal, which is far and away her favorite dinner. Yum!

My kids love to eat this, and it is a great make ahead for busy days. For smaller families you can make the full recipe and freeze half (do it in two 8x8 pans instead of one 9x13) for another night.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

from Noreen Gilletz- The Pleasures of your Processor

1 package of Mac and Cheese (I like to use Annies Shells and Cheddar)

3 cups broad noodles (or a combo of small pasta, a good way to use up the ends of boxes)

1 onion

3 Tbs butter

1/4 lb cheddar cheese

3/4 milk

1 10oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 7oz cans of tuna, drained

salt and pepper

Cook the pasta together in salted boiling water. Drain and return noodles to pan.

In processor„ process onion with a few on/off pulses. Then add the cheese cut into 1-inch cubes. Process until finely chopped. Add to noodles along with the remaining ingredients (including the cheese packet from the Mac and Cheese box). Mix well. Pour into a greases 9x13 pan. Can be refrigerated here and baked later.

Bake uncovered at 350F. for 35 minutes.

If freezing half, when you want to bake it, drizzle with a bit of milk (about 1/4 cup) and bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes.

Here is the other recipe I got from the paper, also the Hartford Courant. This one needed more tinkering but it came out great!

Salmon Chowder

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, washed and chopped

3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 Tbs olive oil

2 cups water

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

1 12ox can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups milk

1 15oz can salmon, bones and skin removed

salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and celery and cook until starting to soften. Add the potatoes and the water as well as a sprinkle of salt. Let cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook for a minute or two and then add to the soup pot followed by the evaporated milk and the milk. Stir well and let cook just at a simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the salmon and stir well to break up the big pieces. Do not let it boil. Cook for a few minutes and check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as desired.

I served this with the Amish Pertzels and a big salad and it was a great hit, even with my pickiest eater (though she did need to sit on my lap before she would try it!).

I clip recipes from the newspaper all the time but rarely make them. This weekend I pulled out two recipes and had fun trying them. This one came from the Hartford Courant. It was delicious but needed salt, I have added a line for salt in the recipe.

Amish Soft Pretzels

1 1/3 cup warm water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbs dry active yeast

2 cups bread flour

2 cups all purpose flour

(add here 3/4 tsp salt)

clarified butter (I used Ghee that I use in my Indian cooking)

1 cup cold water

1 Tbs baking powder

kosher salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Measure in both flours (here is where I would add salt). Use the dough hook to knead into a soft ball.

Cover bowl and let rest until doubled, about 1 hour.

Brush a baking sheet with clarified butter. In a small bowl mix cold water and baking powder. Preheat oven to 500F.

Cut dough into 4 sections and then each section into 8 pieces. Roll into a fat finger. Dip each finger in baking powder water and place on baking sheet (ok to pack them in). Let rest about 5 minutes then brush with more butter and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake in the hot oven for 5-8 minutes. Pull apart and eat warm.

Today is my husband’s birthday and I have tried a new cake! He asked for chocolate and we all love coconut so I tried this lovely recipe from Martha Stewart. If it tastes as good as it looks and smells we will all be very happy!

My family loves Sourdough bread. I buy it from a local bakery but I have always wanted to make it myself. So I finally got up the courage and bought a starter from King Arthur Flour.

After feeding it, I decided the first project would be Sourdough Pretzels. The kids had fun making the ropes and twisting the dough, my daughter was excited to sprinkle the salt, and we all enjoyed the final product!

Next step will be to try to make some real Sourdough bread. I’ll keep you posted!

But despite this bitter cold my chickens are doing well. I even collected three eggs today! I have been feeding them extra scratch and keeping a close eye on their water even though I have a water heater it is still freezing! The seem happy and are still clucking away. Go chickens!

Its a snow day here so we are baking Monkey Bread. Yum!

Will also try to get a jump start on the baking for the Bar Mitzvah by making load of cookie dough and freezing it.

Enjoy the snow :)

Went back through some of my older posts and decided to make this recipe for Indianish Broccoli and Spinach Soup. I am going to serve it with Baked Potatoes, a good winter meal. Yum!

This is a yummy recipe that comes from a great soup cookbook called Sensational Soups by Jeni Wright.

Cream of Broccoli Soup with Crostini

1 lb broccoli

4 canned anchovies, chopped (you’ll use the others for the crostini)

5-5.5 cups of broth (veggie or chicken)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

pepper

1/2-3/4 cup cream

Separate the stems from the florets, chop stems. Bring broth to a boil and add stems and anchovies, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add florets, 1/4 cup Parmesan and pepper. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes. (Here I let mine cool while I picked up the kids) Puree in a blender until smooth. Add cream and reheat without boiling. Serve hot with more cheese and crostini (below)

Anchovy Crostini

remaining anchovies

1 finely chopped garlic clove

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp vinegar

pepper

loaf of bread (I used my favorite Olive Oil Ciabatta)

grind into a paste with a mortar and pestle. Slice bread into thick slices (I did 8 and left a few plain for my little ones) and put under a broiler for 2 minutes. Spread with anchovy paste and serve as is or heat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Hope everyone enjoys all your delicious celebrations! I am busy making pies (Pumpkin and Apple as always) and Butternut Squash. My mom will make the turkey and we will do mashed potatoes just before dinner.

Have fun!

Yummy yummy blondies with a rich coffee background, perfect for this snowy night!

Coffee Blonde Brownies

1 stick butter (4oz, 8 Tbs), melted

1 cup brown sugar

1.5 Tbs espresso powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 cup flour

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 8x8 pan. In a medium sized bowl mix the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the coffee, salt and egg. Stir until smooth. Add the flour followed by chips and nut. Spread evenly in pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Yes, this morning just like Ronnie. It is our right and our duty as good citizens.

ronniefein:

yep. I voted. Always vote.

So Rice Krispie Treats are a simple kid pleaser, right? Well add 3-4 Tbs of Nutella to the marshmallows and wow! not just a kid pleaser, but a dynamo of a dessert! You have to try it!

Hooray! The new Smitten Kitchen Cookbook arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I am looking forward to reading it this weekend and try all sorts of yummy recipes!

Fall is always a busy time in our house and I often rely on classic dishes that I know by heart when things are hectic. Recently my oldest son asked me if I could make something new for dinner. Here is what I devised:

White Bean and Garlic Pasta

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

2-3 cloves garlic (I used one enormous one from the Garlic Festival!), pressed or minced

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

parsley

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cream

1 lb pasta

grated Parmesan

After rinsing the beans, puree them in a mini processor or blender, adding water as needed to get a smooth texture (I probably added 1/3 cup of water).

In a skillet, heat butter and olive oil (you can use all olive oil to make it vegan). Saute garlic until fragrant, add beans and cook while stirring. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley (I used dried as my fresh was looking really ugly, but fresh would be best, use about 2 tsp dried or 1/4 fresh). Remove from heat.

Boil water for pasta and cook according to package. I like penne, but any shape will work. When pasta is almost done, put bean sauce back on heat and add cream to thin it out (if you are going vegan use some of the pasta water). Add the drained pasta and toss well to combine. Serve with grated Parmesan (or not).

The harvest holiday of Sukkot starts tonight and for the next 8 nights we will eat in our Sukkah (a temporary hut like structure, ours is on our porch). This holiday is by far my favorite of all on the Jewish calendar. I love to eat outside on chilly nights and my children (and I) get such a kick out of decorating the sukkah.

My other favorite park of Sukkot is making fall foods that will warm those dining in the sukkah! Soup is always on the menu. Tonight we will eat the Butternut Squash soup below. Tomorrow night I will make a Lentil and Roasted Garlic soup! Yum!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

3 medium onions, sliced

1 tbs butter (can omit to make this vegan)

olive oil

thyme

salt and pepper

5 cups bouillon or vegetable broth (I used Rapunzel Sea Salt and Herbs)

Preheat oven to 450F. Toss the squash with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of thyme. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are browning.

Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven heat butter (or substitute olive oil) and caramelize the onions. See instructions and pictures here.

When the squash is cooked, add it and the broth/bouillon to the pot of onions. Stir and simmer for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.